Kenya is a poor country and one year’s success on the international running circuit can earn a Kenyan more than they’d make in 10 years of working the farm.

This this just your guess or a fact? I don't know anything about income of elite runners (and I suppose Kenyans do not get as much advertisement money) but somehow I'd expect it to be a lot, lot more. I mean, we're talking about a country with average $1,600 GDP per capita a year...

During races, while they are always trying to win individually, if the situation won’t allow it, runners will help fellow Kenyans to be victorious, using tactics similar to what is seen in cycling to ensure that a Kenyan crosses first.

You can rabbit, run fast and pull a fellow runner behind you in your windstream even though it means you won't finish the race. You can control the pack behind you, slowing it down to let your runner make a breakaway. you can make a breakaway to try to get someone to follow and exhaust themselves so your guy can win from behind. If you have enough runners, you can box someone in and let your guy get away. Stuff like that, just like in cycling.

See my comments to cxw regarding pedantry and making a damn point and confusing the two. And realize that not all are going to win at the marathon level and there isn't as much money in other events.

Sure, I get what you try to say. It's just that for a Kenyan farmer its not only a 10 times more but rather like a whole different planet. It's more likely that he wouldn't earn such money not just in 10 years but even not in his entire life + life of all his grandchildren if he stayed in Kenya...

You can rabbit, run fast and pull a fellow runner behind you in your windstream even though it means you won't finish the race. You can control the pack behind you, slowing it down to let your runner make a breakaway. you can make a breakaway to try to get someone to follow and exhaust themselves so your guy can win from behind. If you have enough runners, you can box someone in and let your guy get away. Stuff like that, just like in cycling.

Is this regularly a large problem in running/cycling races? It seems like it would be really hard to formulate rules against it.

Sure, I get what you try to say. It's just that for a Kenyan farmer its not only a 10 times more but rather like a whole different planet. It's more likely that he wouldn't earn such money not just in 10 years but even not in his entire life + life of all his grandchildren if he stayed in Kenya...

Fantastic. When I write an article specifically about Kenyan runners, I'll worry about it. Because, YET AGAIN, not everybody is winning the marathon and teh prizes aren't nearly as high in other events. Until then read the books I sourced and let this irrelevant pedantry go. Because whether it's 10 years or 100 years the point is freaking made: they do it for $$$$.

Is this regularly a large problem in running/cycling races? It seems like it would be really hard to formulate rules against it.

Why would you need rules against things that are 100% legal in the sport? About the only thing that would break the rules is to physically impeded someone (i.e. in cycling if you take a line that blocks someone else you can get DQ'ed) or physically restrain them. But surrounding them isn't illegal by any fashion. And if you're leading the pack and want to run or ride slowly, that's your perogative. Folks can either run behind you or speed up and go faster assuming they can get around you.

Seriously, have you ever watched auto racing? Same thing. If I'm driving in front of you and go slowly, it's not illegal. You can either stay behind me or speed up. If I physically bump into you, that's an issue. IF me and 2 teammates have you surrounded front and sides, that's just too bad. Learn to drive more tactically or suck it up.